US3129040A - Cabinet having an electrically operated closure - Google Patents

Description

J. DE ROSE April 14, 1964 CABINET HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLOSURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1962 v JAMES DE Rosa ATTORNEYS April 14, 1964 DE ROSE 3,129,040

CABINET HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLOSURE 0O 1] ZWZ /WMDW ATTORNEYS A ril 14, 1964 J. DE ROSE 3,129,040

CABINET HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLOSURE ATTORNEYS April 14, 1964 5 055 3,129,040

CABINET HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLOSURE Filed Oct. 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 i a 00 Q "In INVENTOR. -JAME5 DizEosE ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,129,040 CABINET HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLQSURE James De Rose, 1846 S. Euclid Ave., Berwyn, Ill. Fiied Oct. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 231,704 Claims. ca. 312-223) This invention relates to a novel cabinet having a flexible, slatted closure for its opening, the slats of the closure extending between chains which are electrically driven for opening and closing the door.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a more efficient, practical, easily operated and relatively inexpensive cabinet and door assembly of the kind indicated, wherein the chains work protectively in internal channels in the cabinet so as to avoid contacts with objects contained in the cabinet, and with which different types of available sprocket chains and slats of different forms and materials, such as wood, metal, and plastic are usable, and the cabinet is adapted to be constructed of nonmetallic panels secured to metal channel forms, at the vertical corners of the cabinet, such as economical aluminum channel forms.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an assembly of the character indicated above, wherein a reversible electric motor is operatively connected, by ratchet means, to a drive shaft having sprocket wheels, over which the chains are trained, an externally accessible push-button switch in circuit with the motor, and a motor reversing switch which is arranged to be contacted and operated by the closure, as the closure moves beyond its open position, whereby the closure can be continuously operated from closed to open position and from open position to closed position, as long as the push-button switch is held closed, and whereby the movement of the closure in either direction can be arrested by releasing the push-button switch.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in an assembly of the character indicated, of shock-absorbing chain-tightner means associated with idler sprocket wheels related to the individual chains, whereby, in the event that either or both of the chains become jammed, breakage of chains is eliminated.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in an assembly of the character indicated above, of ratchet means which is arranged to operate to provide continuous lost motion between the drive shaft and the motor, in the event that movements of the closure be blocked, together with manual means on the closure for operating the colsure in such event.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a cabinet and closure assembly of the present invention, showing the front opening of the cabinet closed by the closure;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a contracted vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view like FIGURE 2, showing the closure in open position;

FIGURE 5 is a contracted horizontal section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, portions being broken away and in section, showing the drive shaft and its ratchetting drive sprocket wheel relative to a driven sprocket wheel and a chain;

FIGURE 7 is a further enlarged vertical transverse sec- 3,129,040 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 tion taken through the drive shaft, at one end of the ratchetting drive sprocket wheel, showing two-way springpressed pawls engaged in ratchet grooves thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7; and,

FIGURE 9 is a wiring diagram of the motor circuit.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates a rectangular cabinet, such as a kitchen cabinet or other cabinet, having a bottom wall 12, upstanding side walls 14, a top wall 16, an abbreviated back wall 18, extending downwardly from the top wall 16, and a rectangular front opening 20. The front opening 2%) is defined by a pendant flange 22, on the top wall 16, an upstanding flange 24, on the bottom wall 12, and vertical trim strips 26 on and extending inwardly from the side walls 14. The abbreviated back wall 18 of the cabinet abuts and is secured, as indicated at 28, to a room wall W, which serves as a closure for the otherwise open back of the cabinet 10. The above mentioned walls of the cabinet can be of non-metallic material, such as plywood.

Forward, rearwardly facing vertical channels 30, of such as aluminum, are suitably fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls 14, at points spaced inwardly from the trim strips 26, and their webs 32 are spaced, at their upper and lower ends, from the top wall 16 and the bottom wall 12 of the cabinet, respectively. Horizontal chain support plates 34 are fixed to and extend rearwardly, along the inner surfaces of the side walls, from the forward channels 38, on a level above the upper ends of their webs 32, the plates 34 being fixed, at their rear ends, to forwardly facing rear vertical channels 36, which are suitably fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls 14, at locations spaced forwardly from the back wall 18. The webs 38 of the rear channels 36 are spaced, at their upper and lower ends, from the top wall 16 and the bottom 12, respectively, of the cabinet.

Laterally inwardly facing vertical channels 40 are located between the rear channels 36 and the back wall 18, and have their webs 42 suitably fixed to the inner surfaces of the side walls 14. The channels 40 have forward side walls 44 which abut and are suitably fixed to the rear surfaces of the webs 38 of the rear channels 36, and rear side walls 46 which are flush with the rear edges of the cabinet side walls 14, and bear against the room wall W, in the space between the back wall 18 and the bottom wall 12 thereof. Upper and lower chain passing openings 48 and 50, respectively, are provided in the forward side walls 44 of the channels 40.

Forward upper and lower idler sprocket wheels 52 and 54, are journaled across the forward channels 30, at the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively. A horizontal longitudinal drive shaft 56, on a level with the upper for- Ward idler sprocket wheels 52, is journaled, at its ends, through the upper parts of the rear channels 36, and has fixed thereon, within the rear channels 36, upper driven sprocket wheels 58 of the same diameter as the sprocket wheels 52. Lower idler sprocket wheels 60 of the same diameter as the other sprocket wheels, are mounted within the lower parts of the rear channels 36, in line with the driven sprocket wheels 58.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the lower rear idler sprocket wheels 68 are journaled in downwardly directed forks 62, having fixed upstanding stems 64 thereon, which work through vertically spaced, forwardly extending apertured upper and lower brackets 66 and 68, respectively, which are suitably fixed to the webs 38 of the rear channels 36. The stems 64 have fixed collars 70, spaced between the brackets 66 and 68, and chain-tightening and shockabsorbing coil springs 72 are circumposed on the stems and compressed between the collars 70 and the upper brackets 66, whereby the sprocket wheels 60 are biased downwardly, for tightening endless sprocket chains 74 which are trained around all of the sprocket wheels at each side wall 14 of the cabinet 10. The sprocket chains 74 are enclosed protectively, within the forward and rear channels and 36, respectively, and the upper flights of the chains bear upon the support plates 34. It is obvious that the spring-pressed idler sprocket wheels are capable of yielding, in the event of jamming of the chains 74, to relieve strains thereon and prevent damage thereof and to the flexible closure 76, which is fixed to the chains.

The drive shaft 56 is driven by a reversible electric motor M, which is suitably mounted within the cabinet 10, as on a bracket 7 8 fixed to the upper part of the inner side wall of one of the rear channels 36, on a level below the drive shaft. The motor M has, on its shaft 80, a drive sprocket wheel 82, around which a sprocket chain 84 is trained, which is trained also around a ratchetting sprocket wheel assembly 36, on the drive shaft 56.

The ratchetting sprocket wheel assembly 86, as shown in FIGURES 6 to 8, can comprise a preferably solid ratchet pawl-carrying cylinder 88, having an axial bore receiving the drive shaft 56, and having a cross pin 92 anchoring the cylinder to the drive shaft. The cylinder 88 is provided, on one end thereof, with an enlarged diameter annular shoulder 94. At a point spaced from the shoulder 94, the cylinder 88 is formed with a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced radial bores 96, opening to the axial bore 90, and to spring recesses 98 formed in the drive shaft 56. Coil springs 100 in the bores 96 have their inner ends engaged in the recesses 98 and their outer ends engaged with the inner ends of two-way cylindrical pawls 102. The pawls 102 slide in the radial bores 96 and have rounded outer ends 104.

The assembly 86 further comprises a sprocket wheel 106, having a tubular hub 108, larger in internal diameter than the cylinder 88, and formed, in the inner surface, with equally circumferentially spaced, longitudinal ratchet grooves 110. The grooves 110, as shown in FIG- URE 7, are V-shaped, and their openings are wider than the rounded ends 104 of the pawls 102, and the material of the hub 108, between adjacent ratchet grooves, is rounded, as indicated at 112, to provide smooth transit of the pawls between adjacent ratchet grooves. The sprocket wheel hub 108 is slidably journaled on the cylinder 88 by 4 means of an internal annulus 114, at the end of the hub adjacent to the cylinder shoulder 94, and which can have stop engagement with the shoulder. Sprocket teeth 116 surround the hub 108 at the same end of the hub as the annulus 114, around which the drive chain 84 is trained.

In operation, when the motor M is energized, by means of an external switch 118, preferably a foot switch mounted on the cabinet bottom wall 12, at the open front of the cabinet 10, the sprocket wheel 106 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 6, whereby the chains 74 are moved in the same direction, for moving the closure 76 in the same direction, so as to elevate the closure 76 out of closing relation to the open front of the cabinet 10, move the same rearwardly along the support plates 34, and downwardly within the rear channels 36, as the switch 118 is held closed. Should either the chains 74 or the closure 76 become jammed or blocked, for any reason, the sprocket wheel 106 over-runs the cylinder 88 and the drive shaft 56, due to the ratcheting of the ratchet grooves over the pawls 102, so that the strain otherwise exerted by the motor M on the chains 74 is relieved and damage prevented, until the switch 118 can be opened. An external bail handle 120 can be provided at the lower end of the closure 76, for manually moving the closure and the chains 74 for freeing the block or jam, or for moving the closure while the motor M is deenergized.

A motor reversing switch 122 is suitably mounted on the flange 44 of the left hand channel 42, near to and spaced above the cabinet bottom wall 12, and has a vertical plunger rod 124 which is located between two spaced laterally inwardly extending fingers 125 on the related chain 74. When the motor switch 118 is held continuously closed, the closure 76 will first be operated to open position, and moves downwardly in the rear channels 36, and the upper one of the fingers 125 strikes the upper end of the plunger switch 124 of the reversing switch 122, so that the motor M is stopped and is reversed and moves the closure 76 down to its closed position, whereat the closure is immediately moved to its open position, and these operations of the closure continue, as long as the motor switch 118 is held closed. As the closure reaches closed position the lower finger strikes the lower end of the plunger rod 124, so that the motor is stopped and reversed so that it operates the closure to open position. The closure can be stopped in any desired position, by opening the switch 118 at the right moment.

The closure '7 6 comprises narrow slats 126, of any suitable material, including wood, plastics, and metal, and preferably having rearwardly extending lateral flanges 128, along their side edges. The slats 126 have V-shapcd ears 130, which extend rearwardly therefrom and are suitably journaled, as indicated at 130, to intermediate parts of the links 132. of the chains 74, the links being pivoted, at their ends, to adjacent links of the chains. The slats 126 are dimensioned in width, so that, when the closure 76 closes the front opening of the cabinet 10, the flanges 123 of the slats engage, and spaces between adjacent slats are eliminated, as shown in FIGURE 2. The trip strips 26 overlie the side edges of the closure 76 and cover the spaces between the side edges of the closure and the side walls 14 of the cabinet 10, when the closure is in its closed position. The cabinet 10 can be provided with one or more interior shelves 134, positioned so that or provided with openings which provide clearance for the described channels and chains.

As shown in FIGURE 9, the reversing switch 122 comprises the plunger rod 124, which carries spaced contactors 127 and 129 which are adapted to bridge pairs of contacts 131 and 133, at different times. The motor switch 113 has a spring-retracted contactor 135 for bridging contacts 137 and 139. The contact 137 is connected by a wire 141 to a wire 143 which is connected to one side 145 of a current source having another side 147.

The contact 139 of the motor switch 118 is connected by a wire 149 to one of the reversing switch contacts 131 and to one side of the winding 151 of a first electromagnetic switch 153, the other side of this winding being connected by a wire 155 with one of the motor switch contacts 133. The other reversing switch contact 131 is connected by a wire 157 with one side of the winding 159 of a second electromagnetic switch 161. The other reversing switch contact 133 is connected by a wire 163 to a wire 165 which is connected to the other side of the winding 159 of the second magnetic switch 161.

The first magnetic switch has two contactors 167 and 169, the wire 165 being connected to a contact 171 for the contactor 169, the contactor 167 having a contact 173 to which the wire 143 is connected, and contactor 169 having a contact 175 to which the wire 165 is connected.

The second magnetic switch 161 has contactors 177 and 179, the wire 143 being connected to a contact 181 for the contactor 179. A contact 183 for the other contactor 179 is connected by a wire 185 to the other side 147 of the current source. The side 147 is connected to the wire 165.

A wire 187 connects the contactors 167 and 179 of the first and second magnetic switches, and the contactors 169 and 177 are connected by wires 189 and 191, respectively, to opposite sides of the motor M. A wire 193 connects the magnetic switch contactors 167 and 179, and a wire 195 leads from the wire 187 to the third lead of the motor M.

In operation, the motor switch 118 being closed, and the contactor 127 of the reversing switch 122 bridging the contacts 131, due to contact of a chain finger 125 with the related end of the plunger rod 124, the winding 151 of the first magnetic switch 153 is energized, so that its contactors 169 and 167 engage their contacts 175 and 173, thereby closing a circuit to operate the motor M in one direction, as for opening the closure 76. When the other finger 125 reaches and engages the other end of the plunger rod 124 of the reversing switch 122, the contactor 127 is disengaged from the contacts 131, and the contactor 129 engaged with the contacts 133, whereby the motor M is stopped through disengagement of the contactors 167 and 169 of the first magnetic switch 153, from their contacts 175 and 173, and immediately reversed, so as to move the closure 76 to open position, by reason of the energization of the winding 159 of the second magnetic switch 161 and the engagements of its contactors 177 and 179 with the related contacts 181 and 183. Holding the motor switch 118 closed produces continual closing and opening of the closure 76.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet having an open front, a bottom wall, side walls, a top wall, and a back wall, upper and lower forward idler sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its top and bottom walls adjacent to the front opening, upper rear driven sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its back wall and the top and bottom walls, lower rear sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced above its bottom wall adjacent to its back wall, endless chains trained around the sprocket wheels at the cabinet side walls, a closure shorter than and extending between and along the chains, said closure comprising laterally adjacent slats extending between and pivoted on links of the chains, said closure being dimensioned to close the front opening of the cabinet, and means for moving the chains in opposite directions for placing the closure across the opening and for removing the closure from the opening, rearwardly-facing vertical forward channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet sidewalls within which said forward upper and lower sprocket wheels are mounted, and forwardly-facing vertical rear channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet sidewalls within which said upper and lower rear sprocket wheels are mounted, the chains being protective- -ly enclosed by said channels.

2. The cabinet according to claim 1 which includes in addition horizontal support plates extending between and fixed to the forward and rearward channels at their upper ends upon which the chains slide.

3. A cabinet having an open front, a bottom wall, side walls, a top wall, and a back wall, upper and lower forward idler sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its top and bottom walls adjacent to the front opening, upper rear driven sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its back wall and the top and bottom walls, lower rear sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced above its bottom wall adjacent to its back wall, endless chains trained around the sprocket wheels at the cabinet side walls, a closure shorter than and extending between and along the chains, said closure comprising laterally adjacent slats extending between and pivoted on links of the chains, said closure being dimensioned to close the front opening of the cabinet, and means for moving the chains in opposite directions for placing the closure across the opening and for removing the closure from the opening, said means comprising a drive shaft extending between and fixed to the upper rear driven sprocket wheels, an electric motor mounted within the cabinet, operating means connected between the motor and the drive shaft, and a motor switch in circuit with the motor and mounted on the cabinet adjacent its front opening, rearwardly facing vertical forward channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls within which said forward upper and lower sprocket wheels are mounted, the chains being protectively enclosed by said channels, forwardly facing vertical rear channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls within which said upper and lower rear sprocket wheels are mounted, said rear channels protectively enclosing the chains, and horizontal support plates extending between and fixed to the forward and rear channels at their upper ends upon which the chains slide.

4. A cabinet having an open front, a bottom wall, side walls, a top wall, and a back wall, upper and lower forward idler sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its top and bottom walls adjacent to the front opening, upper rear driven sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its back wall and the top and bottom walls, lower rear sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced above its bottom wall adjacent to its back wall, endless chains trained around the sprocket wheels at the cabinet side walls, a closure shorter than and extending between and along the chains, said closure comprising laterally adjacent slats extending between and pivoted on links of the chains, said closure being dimensioned to close the front opening of the cabinet, and means for moving the chains in opposite directions for placing the closure across the opening and for removing the closure from the opening, said means comprising a drive shaft extending between and fixed to the upper rear driven sprocket wheels, an electric motor mounted within the cabinet, operating means connected between the motor and the drive shaft, and a motor switch in circuit with the motor and mounted on the cabinet adjacent its front opening, rearwardly facing vertical forward channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls within which said forward upper and lower sprocket wheels are mounted, the chains being protectively enclosed by said channels, forwardly facing vertical rear channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls within which said upper and lower rear sprocket wheels are mounted, said rear channels protectively enclosing the chains, and horizontal support plates extending between and fixed to the forward and rear channels at their upper ends upon which the chains slide, said lower rear sprocket wheels being downwardly spring-pressed for tightening the chains.

5. A cabinet having an open front, a bottom wall, side walls, a top wall, and a back wall, upper and lower forward idler sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its top and bottom walls adjacent to the front opening, upper rear driven sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced from its back wall and the top and bottom walls, lower rear sprocket wheels journaled in the cabinet at its side walls and spaced above its bottom wall adjacent to its back wall, endless chains trained around the sprocket wheels at the cabinet side walls, a closure shorter than and extending between and along the chains, said closure comprising laterally adjacent slats extending between and pivoted on links of the chains, said closure being dimensioned to close the front opening of the cabinet, and means for moving the chains in opposite directions for placing the closure across the opening and for removing the closure from the opening, said means comprising a drive shaft extending between and fixed to the upper rear driven sprocket wheels, an electric motor mounted within the cabinet, operating means connected between the motor and the drive shaft, and a motor switch in circuit with the motor and mounted on the cabinet adjacent its front opening, rearwardly facing vertical forward channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls within which said forward upper and lower sprocket wheels are mounted, the chains being protectively enclosed by said channels, forwardly facing vertical rear channels fixed to the inner surfaces of the cabinet side walls within which said upper and lower rear sprocket wheels are mounted, said rear channels protectively enclosing the chains, and horizontal support plates extending between and fixed to the forward and rear channels at their upper ends upon which the chains slide, said cabinet walls comprising panels fixed to the channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lacey Aug. 6, 1918 Francke Dec. 14, 1926 Curtis Mar. 18, 1952 Belew Mar. 18, 1952 Potter Oct. 16, 1956 Lawick Jan. 5, 1960 Timmons Aug. 29, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A CABINET HAVING AN OPEN FRONT, A BOTTOM WALL, SIDE WALLS, A TOP WALL, AND A BACK WALL, UPPER AND LOWER FORWARD IDLER SPROCKET WHEELS JOURNALED IN THE CABINET AT ITS SIDE WALLS AND SPACED FROM ITS TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS ADJACENT TO THE FRONT OPENING, UPPER REAR DRIVEN SPROCKET WHEELS JOURNALED IN THE CABINET AT ITS SIDE WALLS AND SPACED FROM ITS BACK WALL AND THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, LOWER REAR SPROCKET WHEELS JOURNALED IN THE CABINET AT ITS SIDE WALLS AND SPACED ABOVE ITS BOTTOM WALL ADJACENT TO ITS BACK WALL, ENDLESS CHAINS TRAINED AROUND THE SPROCKET WHEELS AT THE CABINET SIDE WALLS, A CLOSURE SHORTER THAN AND EXTENDING BETWEEN AND ALONG THE CHAINS, SAID CLOSURE COMPRISING LATERALLY ADJACENT SLATS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND PIVOTED ON LINKS OF THE CHAINS, SAID CLOSURE BEING DIMENSIONED TO CLOSE THE FRONT OPENING OF THE CABINET, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE CHAINS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE CLOSURE ACROSS THE OPENING AND FOR REMOVING THE CLOSURE FROM THE OPENING, REARWARDLY-FACING VERTICAL FORWARD CHANNELS FIXED TO THE INNER SURFACES OF THE CABINET SIDEWALLS WITHIN WHICH SAID FORWARD UPPER AND LOWER SPROCKET WHEELS ARE MOUNTED, AND FORWARDLY-FACING VERTICAL REAR CHANNELS FIXED TO THE INNER SURFACES OF THE CABINET SIDEWALLS WITHIN WHICH SAID UPPER AND LOWER REAR SPROCKET WHEELS ARE MOUNTED, THE CHAINS BEING PROTECTIVELY ENCLOSED BY SAID CHANNELS.

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